


Things suck a little less with you

by Moon_for_moon



Category: The Flash (TV 2014)
Genre: Arranged Marriage AU, Attempted Kidnapping, Comfort, Cuddling, Interrupted Arranged Marriage, Lewis Snart’s A+ parenting, M/M, Motels, Nightmares, Saving Each Other, Sharing a Bed, aNd ThErE wAs OnLy OnE bEd!!!!
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-06-11
Updated: 2019-08-07
Packaged: 2020-04-24 14:13:51
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,427
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19174957
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Moon_for_moon/pseuds/Moon_for_moon
Summary: Len’s wedding doesn’t end up being everything he’d hoped for.1. His collar is scratchy2. He didn’t get to choose his future husband3. People are actively trying to kill themA.K.A.An arranged marriage doesn’t go as planned





	1. Weddings suck

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for clicking!

Len pulled at the too tight collar of his shirt. It was scratchy and disturbing but it was a welcome distraction from the eyes glued to him, observing his every move while he waited for his soon to be husband to walk down the aisle. 

This sucked. Weddings sucked. Everything sucked. Once again his father’s crap was affecting his life and ruining it. He was furious. He’d spent all his life hiding in the shadows, staying under his father’s radar and keeping away from the mob business. 

So of course once he’d been found he was locked in forever. Lewis wasn’t going to let him slip away again and had found the perfect way to keep him prisoner. 

An arranged marriage. 

To “sooth tensions with Thawn’s part of the city”. At least that was what he’d said. Len couldn’t believe he was going to be stuck with whoever Thawn had chosen to send him. The shadow of a name danced in the back of his mind. What was it? Bart? Ben? Baaaa.. Barney? Barry! That was it. Barry. 

The doors at the end of the aisle opened and everyone turned, giving Len a few seconds of relief from their incessant stares. 

A man was dragged down the pathway, held firmly by two much stronger looking people and writhing in their hold. Len’s curiosity peaked. This wasn’t what he’d been expecting. 

A few shocked murmurs rose from the benches but no one dared make a distinct comment. With much effort, the two men managed to get Len’s groom on the alter and quickly retreated. 

Barry seemed disheveled and his face was flushed a light shade of red from the visible efforts he’d done to try and get away. 

Len stayed calm, not letting any emotion or reaction show on his face. At least he wasn’t the only one forced into this. 

“Shall we begin?” The officiator asked unsurely, leaning aside to look at the mob bosses. He cleared his throat and began the speech. 

Len blocked out all the blabber about marriage being the oldest form of commitment and representing a deal and blablabla. He was much more interested in the man before him. 

A very handsome man. 

Had Len bumped into him at a bar, he would’ve gladly asked him back to his appartement. 

But they weren’t in a bar right now, were they? 

Barry’s eyes kept glancing around, focusing on too many things at once but never crossing Len’s path. 

“Do you take each other as your lawfully wedded spouse?” 

Oh, they were at that part already. Alright then. Len swallowed back the nausea at the knowledge of satisfaction his father must be feeling right now. He wouldn’t give him any more by putting up a lost fight. Which is why he answered. 

“I do.” 

At least his tone dripped of sarcasm and Lewis’ unpleased glare confirmed it. 

“And you Mister Allen?” The officiator asked awkwardly after a few seconds too many of the other’s silence. 

Barry wasn’t answering, his eyes drilling into the floor and his mouth pressed into a thin line. 

“He does.” 

Thawn said calmly from the benches. Len watched as emotions ran across his “fiancé”s face. Anger, hatred, despair, sadness. 

“Very well. By the power invested in me by the city of Central, I now prononce you husbands. You may kiss your groom.” 

Neither of them moved. Len had rolled his eyes so far back he’d almost been sure they were stuck and Barry’s clenched fists were more likely to punch him in the jaw than theatrically wrap around his neck like in the movies if he did try to comply with the “permission”. 

The officiator leaned aside awkwardly again to see what the mobsters wanted him to do. Lewis was almost fuming and Thawn’s expression was nearly unreadable. The latter made a signal with his hands to indicate “repeat”. 

“You may kiss your groo-“ 

Time slowed down. 

Len had moved before he’d even heard the explosion, tackling Barry to the ground as the windows blew in and sent shards of glass flying everywhere. A wave of heat flushed over the room as the fire started. 

Len screwed his eyes shut, laying completely still to protect Barry’s body with his own, letting the chaos pour around them as people started shooting. His hearing was muffled, as if he were underwater and a very unpleasant wizzing sound kept ringing in his ears. 

He opened his eyes and collected himself. His instinct questions fusing through his mind. 

Who? What was going on? Where was he?

Who?  
He didn’t know. Strangers. Strangers shooting all around them.  
Conclusion: dangerous people. 

What was doing on?  
People were trying to kill people. He wasn’t in their direct line of fire at the moment.  
Conclusion: He was in danger. 

Where was he?  
Currently on top of Barry, who seemed just as confused and scared as he was feeling.  
Conclusion: This wasn’t planned by one of the mobs. 

Barry’s arms were tightly wrapped around his chest, pulling him impossibly closer in an almost suffocating embrace. His eyes were darting around, trying to make sense of the chaos. 

The kid must not be used to these kinds of things. 

Len rolled off of Barry and crawled to the back of the alter, dropping down behind the stage as bullets kept flying. 

A few seconds later, another figure dropped down beside him. 

“What the hell is going on?!” 

Len clamped one hand over Barry’s mouth and the other behind his head, effectively silencing him. The man jerked back but Len held him fast. 

Len glanced over the stage, checking on the scene. The same chaos was going on but thick smoke had joined the show. 

Barry yanked Len’s hand off of his mouth and glared at him. Len just gave him a little smile. A bullet whizzed past them and crashed into the stone wall behind them. Barry’s angry expression vanished and a panicked gasp escaped his lips. 

Len reached forward and grabbed Barry’s hand, pulling him up and sprinting towards the emergency door. The green glowing letters were nearly unreadable through the smoke. 

They ran through the halls, glancing behind themselves ever few seconds. Barry looked down at their connected hands. It was stupid but he didn’t want to let go. 

Len threw open the final door, the one separating them from the back alley, and froze, Barry colliding into him because of his abrupt stop. 

“Fuckin’ hell!!! There you are!” 

“Mick?” Len asked, confusion showing in the way he furrowed his eyebrows. 

“Come on! We ain’t got a lot of time!” 

Len started following his friend when Mick suddenly stopped, shuffling back and shoving Barry against the wall.

“Who’s this?” He growled. 

Barry didn’t move, his breathing caught in his throat. 

Len looked at him, his brain going a thousand miles an hour. Too much was happening at once. He spoke before he could think any farther. 

“He’s coming with.” 

He thought he saw Barry’s shoulder lower in relief but who could be sure. Mick grunted but let his prisoner go. 

As they drove away from the church, Len finally let his questions out. Barry was in the backseat and Mick was driving. 

“Explain.” 

Mick smiled and huffed. 

“Lisa told me what was happening. I got a few friends and decided to crash the party. Ain’t no way I’m lettin’ your old man keep you.” 

“You do realize you nearly got us killed?” Barry shimmed in. 

Mick glanced in the mirror and glared at Barry. “Why’d we take him with again?” 

Len kept his eyes on the road, someone had to, and shrugged. “That’s not important.” 

“Well what’s the plan?” Barry asked again. “And where are we going?” 

“Us? Star City.” Mick stated as an answer. “You? Don’t care.” 

Barry sagged back in his seat. What was he going to do? 

Len observed him in the car’s side mirror. For some reason, he didn’t feel like letting him go just yet. They were married after all. 

“He’s coming with.” Len repeated for the second time. 

“What?” Both Mick and Barry’s voices sounded at the same time. 

Len sighed, he was regretting this already. “He’s coming with us.” 

Barry didn’t say anything. Mick gave a disapproving sound but didn’t object. 

Len leaned against the window, watching the landscapes change. 

This would be interesting.


	2. Motels suck

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Len and Barry spend the night in the crappy motel. The night is less than uneventful.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sequel to weddings suck because a lot of people seemed to want a follow up on our married princes.

They only stopped twice. Once after almost four hours of driving, to buy sandwiches and empty their bladders, and once after three more hours, when the sun started setting, in a one star motel. 

Mick went in first to see if there were any security cameras or people looking for them, leaving Len and Barry alone in the car. 

An awkward silence took over. Until then, it had been Len and Mick talking for practically the whole ride, catching up and explaining plans. Now the car just felt empty. 

"So, like.. we're married." 

Len groaned and glanced at the mirror to look at Barry. The man was leaned back in the seat and was staring at the ceiling of the car. 

"Seems so." He answered shortly. He really didn't feel like talking with Barry right now. 

"..Weird." 

"Yeah. Weird." 

The awkwardness was nearly unbearable. Len was sure that if one of them so much as swallowed too loud the earth beneath them would open and swallow them down. 

“I'm gonna go get some air." 

He pretended not to see Barry's sigh of relief or the way his shoulders sunk. He just got out of the car and walked away. 

God, this was a mess. How did they even end up here? He wandered further away from the car, from Barry. He needed to breathe. Breathe and plan. 

He was so deep in thought he didn't hear the man walking up behind him until a gun was pressed into the side of his throat and his hands were pulled back. 

“Not a sound. You breathe the wrong way and I'll blow your head off. Understood?" 

Len froze, his entire brain shutting off for a second. He nodded slowly. No use in struggling or calling for help. The man shoved him forward, keeping the gun trained of his head. 

"Walk." 

They headed back towards the parking lot and Len's heart rate grew more and more frantic. 'Never go to the secondary location' he kept repeating. 

A car's lights flashed on and off as it was unlocked. The man started moving faster. He removed the gun from Len's head for a second to pop the trunk open. 

One second was all Len needed. He pivoted and slammed his fist into the man's head. He groaned but didn't collapse like Len had hoped, instead gripping the front of Len's shirt and violently head budding him. Len's hands flew up to cover his nose as blood poured from it. Pain was clogging his brain, stopping him from thinking as the man shoved him into the trunk. 

He was about to slam it shut, effectively trapping Len, when a metallic 'cling' was heard. 

Everything stopped. The man froze, still staring at Len.. and collapsed to reveal Barry holding a metal pipe. 

He was lightly shacking as he dropped the improvised weapon to help Len out of the car. "Are.. are you okay?" 

Len winced, still holding his injured nose. "Fucking fantastic." Barry tried to get a look at his face but he swiftly slapped his hands away. "I'm fine." 

"The hell happened here?!" Mick shouted. Before either of them could move Barry was slammed against the car by the huge man. "What did you do!" 

"Mick, enough!" Len yelled. His head hurt, he just wanted to get some sleep. "Did you get us rooms?" 

 

The rooms matched the outside of the motel, crappy and worn down. Len couldn't care less at the moment as he collapsed on his bed. Mick had gotten a separate room, claiming he wasn't going to "listen to them consummating the marriage". Len knew his best friend was just giving them time to talk together and figure out what they were going to do. 

He'd also added that he would "take care of Len's attackers" which had left Barry pretty much terrified of the man and more than happy that they weren't sleeping in the same room. 

Luckily, there were two beds in his and Len's room. He would be able to get a good night sleep. 

Nope. 

The second his ass touched the mattress, the entire bed frame fell apart. Barry was left staring at pieces of wood and a thin mattress. 

He sighed and let his head drop. Could this day get any worse? He glanced at Len who was already fast asleep, shoes still on, and settled himself into the small couch. 

 

Len almost never dreamed. He could never get in deep enough to. The smallest inconvenience always woke him up. 

And he did wake up. To panting and stirring in the couch across the small room. He blinked in the darkness to try and adjust his eyes to the darkness. 

Barry was groaning and twisting on the small couch. Why wasn't he in his bed? He tried to ignore it but it became too frustrating and he couldn't fall back asleep. 

He sighed and got out of bed. "Barry." He whispered, lightly shacking the man’s shoulder. “Barry!" He repeated a little louder. 

Barry's entire body kicked out as he woke with a gasp. His eyes blinked rapidly around the room, unfocused and scared as he cried out. "No! No!" 

Len intercepted the flying hand that swung at him, pulling the confused man to his chest and wrapping his arms around him tightly. The position was uncomfortable and a cramp quickly started forming in his calves from resting in the crouched position but this way he could manage Barry without risking more damage to his face. 

Barry was panting and lightly trembling in his arms, one hand grabbing his neck for support and the other clutched to his chest protectively. The daze and sleepy confusion cleared and Barry looked up at him with a sorry expression, muttering what sounded like an apology. He let go of Len, trying to lay himself back down in the couch but Len held him fast. 

"Are you okay?" 

Barry blinked at the question and nodded, an unconvincing smile on his face. "Yeah. Yeah, I'm fine." His tone was far too joyous and casual, hiding so much worry and fear. 

Len let him go and watched as Barry avoided his stare and kept his eyes either on the ceiling or down on the floor. 

A minute of silence was all it took for Barry to break. He leaned forward and hid his head in his hands. 

"Of course I'm not okay.. We're on the fucking run with people trying to kill us, we're married, you’re hurt and I don't even know anything about you.” 

Len sat on the floor and stretched his legs out. "If it makes you feel any better," Barry looked up at him, "I don't like this either. But we're trying, aren't we? We're still alive." 

Barry huffed. "Is that where the bar is? At staying alive? You nearly got killed, just a few hours ago." 

"Would you rather be here or back with Thawne?" Len asked, trying to put perspective into Barry's head. 

"I don't know to be honest.”

Oh. Len had been expecting a clear answer. 

“He took me in when I ran away from my foster home. He helped me visit my dad in jail. He gave me a job at a bar he owned. He was kind. I never though he was some big mob boss or some crap." 

Len listened patiently, letting Barry vent his feelings out. Talking could be difficult but the more he knew, the better. 

"But after a few years he kinda changed. He would try to impose rules and stuff. He’d imply things and was basically threatening to take away everything I’d worked for because without him I’d be nothing. And when it was finally too much I told him I was leaving, that I'd reconnected with an aunt in Star City and that she was going to help me out." 

Barry's voice caught in his throat, as if recalling the memories was too painful for him. Len took his hand and gently stroked his thumb over the knuckles. "Take your time." 

"He got pissed and he.." Barry looked aside, his eyes shining in the darkness. "He just flipped out. He attacked me and told me that I.. owed him. I tried to run! I did! But then it was just one thing after another and suddenly I was in a church with people shooting at me." 

He wiped a tear away and sniffled, taking a deep breath to get control over his emotions. Len stared at him silently and just held his hand, giving him a comforting squeeze. 

"Come on." Barry stayed silent when Len helped him up and guided him towards the bed. "You need to rest. When's the last time you slept?" Barry's stuttering response gave him his answer. 

Barry got settled in and sighed. Len was heading towards the couch when Barry called him. 

"What are you doing?" 

Len shrugged. Going to sleep obviously. 

"That couch is gonna break your back. I can vouch. Come on, I’ll move over. There's enough space for both of us." 

Len groaned and reluctantly scooted in next to Barry. He needed sleep and if he had a back ache for the next few days, staying alive would be much more annoying. 

 

Barry woke up first, keeping his eyes closed and trying to slip back under. He was resting on something too firm to be the mattress and too warm to be the floor. His eyebrows scrunched together in concentration as he tried to figure out what was below him. 

A soft groan was heard and the chest under him shifted. Barry's eyes snapped open as he realized what, or rather who, he was sprawled out over. 

He was about to move away when an arm snuck around the small his back and pulled him closer. Len hummed peacefully in his sleep and rolled over, trapping Barry's arm between him and the bed. 

Barry cussed under his breath and, after a few minutes of trying to wiggle himself free, resigned himself to waiting for Len to wake up and move first. 

The older man shifted a few more time. Agitated sleeper, Barry though. At some point Barry found himself resting his head under Len's chin with both his arms trapped between their bodies. 

Len groaned again and peaked his eyes open, glancing around the poor room around them. 

"Good morning." 

God that morning voice was sexy and definitely not helping with his morning man problem. He hoped Len didn’t notice the hardness against his thigh. 

Barry wasn't sure if he should answer. He didn't think Len could see his open eyes from where he was. Replying would confirm that he was awake, thus leading to awkwardness. But if Len knew he wasn't asleep and he didn't answer.. well that was just rude. 

"Morning.." He mumbled, snuggling a little closer to Len. He didn't want to get up. He didn't want to be on the run. He just wanted this gorgeous man to hold him and forget all about their problems. 

Well.. maybe not the problem Len was clearly also having. Barry felt himself blush down to his shoulders when Len’s erection accidentally brushed against his leg. 

Len held him for a few more minutes until the door swung open and Mick stomped in. 

"Stop fuckin'! We got a shit tone of road left to fuck with!" 

Barry flinched and tried to pull away but Len kept him still and stroked his back protectively. 

"We'll be out in ten." 

Mick grunted but left without further argument. Len slowly unwound his arms and less than enthusiastically released Barry, giving him enough room to pull away. 

They stared at each other for a few seconds before Len broke the silence. "Are you okay?" He asked softly, stroking his thumb over Barry's cheekbone. 

Barry gave him a little smile and leaned into the warm touch. "Yeah. I'm fine." 

Even though there was still uncertainty and awareness in his voice, Len knew that sentence was already less of a lie than it’d been last night. 

Hopefully one day it would be as convincing to him as it was to Barry. 

“Come on. We still have a long way to go before we get to safety.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please leave a comment and kudos if you enjoyed this story and would like to see more.

**Author's Note:**

> Please leave a like and a comment if you enjoyed the story!


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